Can 'thinking time' be sold as part of a project?

As I sit here finishing up the tail end of a long, intense and fast-paced project, it occurs to me that we really didn't have enough thinking time on it. I mean time to *really* think about design alternatives, think through implications of our design decisions, bounce ideas off third parties etc. The sort of time that bears inspirational fruit. The sort of time that creates 'eureka!' moments. Sigh.

In the end we ended up spending more time documenting our decisions for the client's benefit than really thinking through them. This is such a shame, and a risk to the client and our overall solution. Why can't we sell thinking time? Why can't clients accept that it is a fundamental and necessary component of design? Project plan, Schmoject plan. If a client could sit in on one of our 'war rooms' at work, see the number of post-its, sketches, printouts, and random scribbles etc. on the walls, floor and desks they might realise the value of this sort of thinking time and cough up the cash for it. Maybe.

Feeling mildly rejected (on Facebook)

Is it dumb to feel a bit rejected when you find out someone's removed you as a friend, even if you didn't particularly like him and thought he was a wanker? I just happened to look this guy up on a whim, and lo and behold, he was no longer in my friends list. And then I looked a little further and found an ex, and some of his friends, who used to be my friends.... who haven't added me as a friend.... sigh.

Erk. Facebook can be great in so many ways, but can also leave you feeling a bit socially excluded at times. Darn, I should just be happy with the 220+ friends I have, shouldn't I?

The charity 'click'

More and more organisations and people are jumping on the 'click to give' bandwagon. This is where you can click on a button online, or even download a small text file, and by doing do, donate sponsorship money to a cause. I think it's great - it's so easy, and so accessible. Everyone should be giving in this vein. I now subscribe to The Hunger Site which also links off to sites for Breast Cancer, Child Literacy etc., Project Download, where a girl is trying to raise money for medical treatment, and Freerice.com where you can even improve your vocabulary and spelling while clicking to give. If everybody did this every day, imagine what a difference we could all make.

Animal rape?

This week I have witnessed what I believe to be a pigeon mating ritual: a highly ruffled-up male pigeon doing a weird head-bobbing dance, while following a female pigeon. I've seen this a couple of times in the same place, so I'm not sure if it's the same pigeon(s) each time. However, on each occasion the female is beating a hasty retreat, while the male is getting himself all worked up.

It's made me think: how often is animal mating 'rape' as we define it (i.e., sex without consent)? I mean, I know about animals being on heat, and mating cycles etc., but more often than not, I see male birds persisting in chasing seemingly unwilling female birds. Intrigued, I did a bit of 'net research, and while I haven't been able to find any authoritative writings on the subject (guess I'd have to go to a proper library for that) I did find some interesting forum postings.

There were debates on whether we can apply a 'human' term to animal behaviour; debates on what constitutes lack of consent in animals; and reports about 'rape-like' behaviour in dolphins, mallard ducks, dogs and a variety of monkeys. It appears that some animal behaviour definitely falls under our definition of rape. I doubt if anyone has measured how widespread it is though. Maybe because, if found to be prolific, it could fuel dangerous thoughts in male humans?

In a stupid question post John Ruch tells us:

"...animal rape has been a major controversy between biological determinists and social scientists for 30 years. The former think that animal rape demonstrates that rape may be genetically hardwired into human males, while the latter say that’s a weak inference and that consciousness and culture make our behavior much more complex than that. (I only caricature the extreme positions; there are many middle-grounders.)"

Hmmmm. Instinct vs. Evolved consciousness? That's a debate for another day.

Medium vs. Ghost Whisperer

I just saw an ad for a new series of 'Ghost Whisperer' which is soon to be screened on telly, and I am pissed off. Ghost Whisperer is a dumbed-down, boob-enhanced version of Medium with scant plot or character development. It's also got Jennifer Love Hewitt in it dressed in skimpy clothes (see reference to boob-enhanced earlier). And where, I ask, is Season 3 of Medium? I've only been waiting 8 months for the next season of my favourite show! A show with a fascinating theme, which is well written, with real characters, and heart. No wonderbras there!

Yet another disturbing sign that tv today is becoming more and more the domain of the vapid. But you knew that already.

I'm going to try and contain my nausea and hope with all my might that Medium carries on. And comes back soon! *sob*

Beware, Jehovah's Witnesses are now targetting bus stops

A Jehovah's Witness handed me a leaflet today while I was waiting at a bus stop. The leaflet was entitled "All suffering SOON TO END!"

I read it out of curiosity. So, so many points to marvel at in that there little leaflet. My favourite quote: "All the evidence shows that we are nearing the end of man's tragic experiment in independence from God". I didn't know these people were also scientists, and took objective measures to prove or disprove their hypotheses. Interesting!

As well as entertaining me somewhat, today's little encounter made me think about who religious types often target: loners. I was by myself at this bus stop. It reminded me of an occasion some years ago at Melbourne University. It was a Saturday, and I was doing some work for the Convention Centre. I was on a very short lunch break and eating my sandwich when I was approached by a young girl who started asking me all sorts of very focused questions about me - what I studied, what my family was like, what I was into etc. I was sceptical about why she was talking to me... people don't generally initiate these kinds of conversations. Finally she asked me if I read the bible and I thought "a-ha!". I asked her if she was recruiting for a Christian group, and she admitted she was. I just lost it and blasted her for approaching me on false pretenses (hello... aren't you Christian?) and wasting my precious lunch break. These people can be so manipulative! And that wasn't the first time that had happened either. Must be my sweet and innocent face that lures them... ;)

Tips for visiting Greece

Having just travelled to Greece for a short holiday, certain things I'd forgotten came crashing back into my consciousness with a thump. There are just a few, but important, things people visiting Greece need to remember, especially if they're going for the first time:

1. The most important thing is: Don't put toilet paper in the toilet! I know it defies logic and hygiene standards, but Greek sewerage piping has yet to recognise the need for loo paper. I always forget this one. D'oh!

2. Don't make any assumptions about customer service! For example, if it's a hot day (and in summer it will be!!) don't assume your drink will be cold! You have to ask for a cold one. If you don't ask (or specify), you don't get.

3. Don't expect drivers to care about your safety, even if you have the right of way. Chaos rules on the Greek roads, and even an old man riding a donkey can be a danger to an unsuspecting pedestrian.

4. If you're in a queue, mind no-one pushes in. Greeks don't really give a shit who was there first, as long as they get served. So, be loud and rude if you need to - you'll probably be respected for it!

5. If you're a tourist visiting a touristy area, such as the Greek islands, don't expect people to not try and take advantage of you. Stick to the shops and places that are recommended via word of mouth, or by reputable books and sites. Question the authenticity, the freshness, the amount. And haggle where possible.

6. Give yourself plenty of time for everything. Greek efficiency is an oxymoron; don't expect anything to be done in a timely or organised way. If you stress about running late you won't last long in Greece.

7. Relax, sit back, and enjoy! Greece is one of the most wonderful cultures and places to visit in the world. The food, the music, the lifestyle, the historical sites, and the views (especially on the islands) offer a unique sensory experience. If you go with the flow, rather than having expectations that things should happen in a certain way, you'll get a great deal more from your Hellenic stint than you would otherwise.

The importance of being close to family

I just caught up with my family in Greece. I hadn't seen them in over a year, and it was wonderful to spend time with them. Small things, like being able to see their facial expressions as they related anecdotes, or giving them a spontaneous kiss, were priceless.

Being Greek means family ties are super strong. Whether you like it or not, you can't get away from family, no matter how far you travel. They love you no matter what they say, or what you do. They are always thinking about you, and worrying, even if you break their hearts.

It's made me really think about what's important. I am so lucky to have the family I do. Despite their idiosyncrasies and biases, I adore them. And I know that they cherish me. At the end of the day I know they will always be there for me, no matter what happens. And I don't want to be too far away from them, not for too long. Phone and email contact are just no replacement for hugging my Dad, or leaning my head on my Mum's shoulder. Something tells me this coming Christmas at home is going to be a special one...

Reading 'Fast Food Nation' and feeling sickened and appalled

I'm in the middle of reading Eric Schlosser's 'Fast Food Nation'. It's a book I probably should have read years ago, but it's only now made its way into my hands. I'm assuming a lot of people have already read it. If not, they should! It's an indictment against the whole fast food industry, the meat packaging industry, and more. It exposes a lot of disgusting, underhand and morally devoid goings-on in these industries.

It's really made me think about how we, as consumers, completely take it for granted that we're being sold decent, hygienically prepared foods and goods. The truth is, we're not. I'm starting to re-evaluate what I buy and eat... I am feeling more encouraged than ever to support local and organic. And to absolutely avoid processed and fast foods.

I am really saddened and angered that the industries portrayed in this book are so indifferent to the health and wellbeing of their animals, their workers, and their consumers. They commit atrocities in the name of profit. I found myself cursing the executives behind these industries to hell time and again while reading this book. And I'm sure this is just an example of what the big bad business world out there is like. I'm really glad I'm not caught up in it, at least I hope I'm not!

I strongly encourage everyone to read this book, and think about what they're buying, eating, and feeding their kids. Happy meals? My ass!

Making time to reflect

It has occurred to me that we are so busy in this life that we don't often make the time to reflect, which is perhaps one of the most important things we can do to connect with ourselves and put the things that happen around us in perspective. I've tried to summarise the benefits of reflection in a few points:

Reflection improves our self-awareness. Reflection helps us get to know ourselves better, because it lets us think about what we've said and done, and find patterns and idiosyncrasies. It helps us understand the impact our words and behaviours have on others. It helps us know when we are being positive and when we're being negative. It also enables us to detect where our "mental tape recorder" is kicking in and playing an old belief tune we no longer need. Being self-aware takes practice, but it gets easier over time. And it's incredibly useful for understanding your relationship with the world.

Reflection helps you clean up your mental mess. By thinking about what's happened in your day, you can effectively put away things you want to hang onto, and throw out the ones you don't. This leaves you with fewer things buzzing around your head, because you've dealt with them. 'Things' might include conversations, interactions, insights, and triggered memories. This exercise gives you a bit of mental peace, which God knows we all need.

Reflection can help you work out where your bad mood came from. This is particularly useful when you can't work out why you're feeling down, or shitty. This one certainly works for me. If something's bothering me, I take the time to pinpoint where it's come from. Sometimes this might mean tracing a conversation back to a trigger word or phrase, or an interaction with someone. Our thoughts move so quickly that sometimes you can move on from a trigger point and carry the emotion it's raised with you, without realising why.

I really believe everyone should make the time to reflect. Every day if possible. That 5 or 10 minutes you have at the bus stop or on the train platform could be put to much better use than drowning your thoughts in music or reading vapid publications. Not that there's anything wrong with doing these, of course!

S'been a while...

Eek, didn't realise it had been that long since my last post. Not that anyone's waiting with bated breath for the next entry; as far as I know only two people know of the existence of this here little blog! :) But I do myself an injustice by not posting.

I just had a solo weekend away in New Milton, a little town nestled between the south coast of England and New Forest - a National Park originally set aside as royal hunting grounds. Though there are no deer there to speak of these days, just wild ponies! I may have seen a few, unless they were actually domesticated animals... hard to tell from where I was standing.

Anyway I got what I wanted from the holiday, though not nearly enough: rest, spiritual 're-charge' and an opportunity to re-think recent behaviours and thoughts. Some of which haven't been very pretty, I'm afraid. But I'm really trying to think positive, so no more dwelling, over-analysing, judging and negative imaginings... It will take a while to change these very old and persistent habits, but I just have to keep trying. I believe my future happiness is at stake otherwise. A big statement to make, I know, but it's true. No-one but you can make you happy. So... that's my job from now on! Make sure Mimi's happy. A hard task for anyone, let alone me! But I have more help available than I give credit for... I just need to remember to call on those around me for it. Thank you, you know who you are :)

Specific musings?

When I was doing bits and bobs of writing a few years ago I decided I was going to write a book called "The musings of a 20-something chick" (yeah, well, maybe more than a few years ago!!). I fell in love with the title as soon as I conceived it. This gem was going to contain all sorts of writing by me - poems, short stories, essays, songs, random thoughts, you name it. Unfortunately I didn't really write enough at the time to fill more than a few pages. Call it stifled expression (a special skill of mine, but more on that another time). And then a friend of a friend told me that unless it was written by someone famous (which I clearly wasn't then, nor am I now), or it was a solid work of fiction, that I would have trouble getting it published. Despite this I couldn't let go of the name, or the concept. Hence the name of this blog.

It hasn't escaped my notice, however, that all I seem to be writing about is writing! Yes I am all fired up about it, but that isn't the only thing I was to discuss or muse on here! So I am now opening up the ideas and the possibilities, and giving myself permission to make this what it was originally intended to be: a collection of all sorts of examples of my creative or analytical thinking. In time I will also post the writings I did a few years ago, because I still like them and they continue to inspire me.

Two messages

There were two messages that came across to me very strongly a few days ago. One was that the creative energy behind writing, the spirit, if you like, comes from beyond - God, Spirit, a Higher Power or whatever you want to call it. I read it in two random books I have as sources of inspiration. No coincidence, of course. So... unblocking it and letting it come through is no different to unblocking energies in other ways, spiritually. Creative expression and spirituality... so many artists in history have claimed that a spirit moved them, or their inspiration came from 'somewhere else'... fascinating if you consider the energies of those who have passed (like Lois Duncan, one of my favourite authors when I was a teen, did in "Down a Dark Hall").

The second message was that I need discipline to write. God knows this is so very relevant to me! Self-discipline has never been my strong point. I was a procrastination queen at school and university. It was my intelligence that got me through most of the time, not hard work. And excuses... they're so easy to come up with! So... that's going to be hard. Especially since it's been two weeks or so since I kicked off and I still haven't managed to select a publication for my first writing assignment. Dammit. Well at least I have a fairly clear weekend coming up - might just make up for it!

I have in the interim, however, bought and looked through a wide diversity of London magazines - ranging from women's interest to spirituality to sci-fi to film to erotica to fantasy fiction. It's been very interesting! There are so many directions you can go in with writing. And looking through these magazines I'm really not sure what kind of writing I'd like to do, and for which publication! Erghh. I think I just need to bite the bullet and make a decision. It won't be the be all and end all of my career for God's sake, not an irredeemable choice, just the focus for my first assignment. But I so want it to be good!

I should also mention that when I bought my first lot of magazines from Borders, the girl behind the counter (who happened to be a freelance journalist) gave me some very useful advice. Not only did she tell me I needed to be disciplined (yes she was one of the sources of message #2) but she also told me that music magazines are great to write for as they offer a variety of writing opportunities like reviews, features and supplements, and they cater to both sexes. I still haven't bought a music mag. Maybe that's the next thing to do?

Happy New 2007!

Well, the new year is upon me. Despite it being a hackneyed sentiment, I really feel that this is an opportunity for a fresh start, a clean slate. I have now put weekly blocks of time aside in my Google Calendar for writing, and have spent the first of these (tonight) doing some reading and research. Yay me!

I am super determined to get this writing thing going. I really am tired of usability... every day at work is a reminder that it doesn't stimulate me, and it's not my passion. Every email re a new technology or reference is a reminder that I have no interest in keeping up with industry news. And every person that leaves is a reminder that there are greener pastures elsewhere. But I must be patient. Being the materialistic and security-valuing woman I am, I cannot conceive of going without a regular salary and living a lifestyle of relative comfort. So I must continue in this job, and try and find some positives to being there, otherwise I will go nuts. And in the meantime I will dedicate myself to nurturing my writing and completing my assignments in something resembling good time. In my own time.

I feel encouraged by what I've read about aspiring writers already; people do respond positively to my writing, be it my travel updates or my work reports. I've been told my writing is easy to read. And God knows I have an eye for things like grammar, punctuation and sentence formation! These are things already working in my favour. I must now put my Taurean tenacity to work for me here. It's no coincidence that a couple of people have told me recently that I am very determined and tenacious! And I must also remember what I read earlier at work today: good design is hard, and people who have achieved it have worked very hard and were prepared to throw out and/or revise their work frequently. The lesson - iteration! It's a leaf I can certainly take out of my UX book. Maybe I can continue to learn more in this job after all?!